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3 months off next wk. Still have not slept over 2hrs and averaging 8hrs per week


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This is really demoralizing.  And I am not sure if this extreme sleep deprivation is making my head pressure much worse because I have not had a single night of over 2hrs sleep.  When on average does sleep get better?  How often do people have permanent insomnia from these drugs? 
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I am also almost 3 months off a cold turkey of Klonopin.  I did major damage to myself after taking these horrific drugs for the second time, after I had been off of them for almost 18 months. I have not had any noticeable sleep, except for one time when I took Amitriptyline along with some supplements, of course it never worked again. All I am getting is that horrible Hypnagogia, where I am dreaming, but stuck in limbo between being awake and asleep.  It is getting really difficult to go through this hell day after day with no end in sight. I sure hope the insomnia isn’t permanent, because I can’t imagine having to live the rest of my life this way.
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That's about what I remember at three months off.  Zero to 20 minutes the first month or so, 20 to 40 minute stretches for a few weeks and then a couple of hours.  It gradually got to be longer and longer until normal sleep was restored.

 

Aside from simply waiting for time to help with sleep patterns, I used ocean wave recordings, chamomile tea and sleeping alone in a dark/cool bedroom to help with sleep.

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EE75 - seriously no sleep in 3 months?  Yikes.  Do you have other symptoms like dp/dr, head pressure etc?

 

Challis - I hope my improvements follow in

your footsteps. Something has gotta give this month. I can't live a life averaging an hour or two of sleep. 

 

Hoping to.hear from other extreme insomniacs who have recovered and can offer hope.  Does sleep ALWAYS improve eventually? 

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I am still suffering from relentless insomnia one year and eight months out. There are some positive posts on the success stories, so check there.

 

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13+ weeks now.  Still not sleeping over 2hrs per night. 8-10hrs per week. 

 

I have read the success stories a few times. There are not too many who have recovered from this level of sleep deprivation -lostdog, cindys, mtfan, eastcoast, theway, siggy, and leslie_ash were the only ones I could find.  It is discouraging because I don't see too many at all who have recovered from my combo of severe insomnia, head pressure/brain burning, dp/dr, and emotional flatlining. 

 

I wonder if the level of head pain has any correlation to the level of injury/damage to the brain.  If that is the case, I am really messed because the pain is at a high level with no break. 

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uncomfortablynumb,

 

Everyone who goes through wd gets a different combo of symptoms at all different levels of severity. It can be frustrating and isolating to notice that no one else has the exact same combo and tempting to draw conclusions from this that may not be at all accurate.

 

For example, the folks you listed who had similarly severe insomnia and recovered had some of the same symptoms as you but not necessarily the severe head pressure or emotional flat lining so you wonder if that means you have more damage. I would bet that everyone you listed, also had some symptom (or symptoms) that were quite intense that you *don't* have.

 

The common thread is that ever so slowly, sleep improves over time. Sometimes it takes a very long time and you have to do everything possible to take care of your body and mind along the way, but it comes back to something manageable. Some people with absolutely terrible long-term insomnia become well rested, long, deep sleepers after enough time passes. Some tend towards some issues with lighter and/or shorter sleep and lots of people fall somewhere in between. Even in the general population there's wide variability.

 

I'll say it again, what you're going through is brutal as hell, but sleep will start to creep back. I'm really sorry you are going through this. I know how bad it sucks.

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[3c...]

I haven’t slept right for 1.5 years, but at least I can get maybe 4 hours now.

 

At the beginning of getting off benzos I couldn’t sleep at all for months, I mean maybe 2 hours a night if I was lucky.  Napping doesn’t work either, I can’t remember when I had a nap.  😭

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  • 2 weeks later...
This just seems insane that it can be so brutal with no sign of improvement.  Now 3.5 months and still sleeping 0-2 hours. The head pressure and weird sensations also have not eased.  Got an appointment to a neurologist but I have to wait 9 months.  Feels impossible. 
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I had severe insomnia for 9-10 months.  I had lots of zero nights or nights of no perceived sleep.  I often went 3 and sometimes 4 days in a row with zero or no perceived sleep and I did that at least a dozen times or more.  I average 5 - 10 hours a week for months.  Many had it much worse than I did, but we all made it through.  I now sleep 6+ hours every night and sometimes 7-8 hours without taking anything.  2 years ago I thought I was doomed.  I wasn't and you aren't either. 

 

You need to understand why this is happening if you don't already.  It's really simple.  Benzos temporarily disable your body's "brake pedal" (GABA) and make your body's "gas pedal" (Glutamate) get stuck to the floor.  GABA is what makes you calm and relaxed and Glutamate is what makes you active and alert or "wired."  The two are in a constant balancing act, but in WD Glutamate (gas pedal) rules the day and night.  It will even out but could take way more time than you would like it to.  But it does end.  Lack of sleep sucks big time, but it won't kill you.  I found that out first hand along with Siggy, Aloha, MTFan, 8damien8 and many, many others.  Hang it there, it slowly gets better.  At least you're getting some sleep every night and not ZERO nights! :)

 

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I had severe insomnia for 9-10 months.  I had lots of zero nights or nights of no perceived sleep.  I often went 3 and sometimes 4 days in a row with zero or no perceived sleep and I did that at least a dozen times or more.  I average 5 - 10 hours a week for months.  Many had it much worse than I did, but we all made it through.  I now sleep 6+ hours every night and sometimes 7-8 hours without taking anything.  2 years ago I thought I was doomed.  I wasn't and you aren't either. 

 

You need to understand why this is happening if you don't already.  It's really simple.  Benzos temporarily disable your body's "brake pedal" (GABA) and make your body's "gas pedal" (Glutamate) get stuck to the floor.  GABA is what makes you calm and relaxed and Glutamate is what makes you active and alert or "wired."  The two are in a constant balancing act, but in WD Glutamate (gas pedal) rules the day and night.  It will even out but could take way more time than you would like it to.  But it does end.  Lack of sleep sucks big time, but it won't kill you.  I found that out first hand along with Siggy, Aloha, MTFan, 8damien8 and many, many others.  Hang it there, it slowly gets better.  At least you're getting some sleep every night and not ZERO nights! :)

 

Did I see my name mentioned? How are you doing ThEwAy2? I am more or less normal these days and nights (normal for me at least).

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Hi Aloha,

 

I am doing well too...pretty much normal almost all of the time regarding sleep and no symptoms for about 2 years!...it's sure a lot better than it was just a few years ago. :)  I still don't have PM or edit rights...I guess I am still in the "dog house" for previous "bad behavior?"  I think you read my mind as I was going to ask the moderators if I could have PM rights back so I could contact you and see how you are doing.  Take care...

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